Hospitality Technology

This is a very comprehensive article that talks about the web-based, Software as a Service systems (SaaS). It is different from the traditional PMS and it has advantages over the traditional one. The author gave us five advantages of SaaS. All of the five advantages are so good that after read this article, I think there will be a trend that it will be the SaaS world in the future and this trend will continue.  However, the author didn't write any disadvantages. Usually for a company to make a decision before the company knows not only the pros and but also the cons.

The advantages offered by SaaS systems are very similar to that of which property managers have to solve. It controls property's operations such as processing reservations, check-ins and check-outs. Saas stands for Software as a Service which drives the attention of new technology for property management which includes moving tenant services online, offering web site creation and integration, eliminating the need for extensive software training and maintenance, enhancing communication between the owners and managers and it helps improve record keeping and security.

With technology evolving the property management  software.  Most  vendors are now offering  web-based, Software as a Service  is being  adopted by most property managers are adopting it because  they the advantages of the SaaS model help them accomplished most of their goals.which are to move tenants services online,  offering website creation and integration, eliminate the need for software training and maintenance ,improve  record keeping and security as well as better record keeping.  Furthermore this service can be accessed on smartphone as well as tablets. And also one of the primary characteristics of SaaS property management vendors is that they've designed their systems specifically to be easy-to-use and to appeal to those who aren't especially tech savvy. This results in a faster learning curve for property managers who are not technically proficient. And also it offers  better record  keeping since it  back up the data.

This article is about GDS and cruise industry. What this article talks about is that UK's cruise market leader P&O Cruises, Cunard and Princess Cruises, will end its distribution through Amadeus, which is one of the largest GDSs in the world, in November 2011. The reason behind this is because these cruise lines figured out that almost 95 percent of its cruises are sold via its own website so they think GDS is no longer necessary for them. However, other major cruise lines such as Carnival Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, and Norweigian Cruises will still continue to feature on the GDS. According to a spokesman of Amadeus, the company keeps investing in distribution solutions, easier and more secure cruise booking application for cruise lines. This article shows how cruise distribution in the UK is shifting. This change would probably affect not only cruise lines but other sectors such as hotels, airlines, etc. Yet, it is still uncertain if the impact of the change on cruise industry worldwide will be significant. Still, most of cruise lines including the three major cruise operators which have large market share in the cruise industry use GDS; as well as, it is doubtful if cruisers are willing to go on a same cruise ship over and over. Cruisers look for various cruise options while booking online so they will be more likely to visit GDS-based website where they can search for various cruise ships throughout the world; rather than to visit website where there are much less cruise options. Everything will be clear after we see if the UK's cruise operator is successful.

A significant change since the study in 2009, it says that there is a significant change that more than 26 percent of travel agents stated that they used their GDS more often. It means that GDS has become more and more important in the hospitality industry, since the generation has changed to 80's. Travel agent has once again confirmed their confidence in GDS shopping.

In Amazon's last quarter, net income dropped by 57 percent from a year ago. Sales for the three months before December 31 came out to $17.4 billion, lower than Wall Street expected over the traditionally busy holidy season. It is predicted that for the next quarter outlook, there could be anywhere from a gain of $100 million to a loss of $200 million. While Amazon continues to profit in sales of its best selling Kindle devices, there were a variety of factors that contirbuted to its losses. The flooding in Thailand slowed down production for many tech companies. Third-party sellers (which give a 13% commission to Amazon as oppsoed to 100% commission when Amazon sells themselves) were used more than usual. Promotions such as the Amazon Prime program which allows the customer to pay a fixed rate and get umlimited two-day shipping hurt the retailer hard over the busy holiday season with shipping costs. Other reasons were lower demand for skimwords

This is a very interesting article about the hotel room control systems, which are expected to be more of a mainstream feature with the 2-wire bus push button modules. these units can be installed in any hotel build or refurbishment, and suitable for standardized rooms and also boutique hotel settings. such kind of modules are often found in luxury hotels than sub-five star hotels. also due to the expense and complexity of the system. But with this 2-wire bus push button, hotels can offer their customers centralized switching/dimming of lights, curtain/blind controls and do not disturb indicators in a single wall mount unit, without the cost or disruption of installing a full control system. This will allow middle market hotel operators to deliver that wow factor to their customers in a simpler and a cost effective way. they are also available in range of designs to complement the hotel rooms interiors. and even multiple units can be installed in one room, for example near the bed, near the door with the same assigned controls.

CCRA has made modifications online to assist travel agents in increasing their income. CCRA offers a 15% commission to all travel agents, and works with hotel partners to ensure travel agents are offering a better price than what consumers can find online themselves.

Amadeus, has announced that it will partner with HRS a leading hotel portal for corporate travelers. The decision to create a strategic alliance will mark a first for hotel portals to become available through a global distribution system. This connection will allow over 250,000 hotels, to include 50,000 independent properties to join in a major distribution system around the world. Through this integration, it will ensure the customer experience is less laborious and provide a even playing field for independent hotels to the advertise to business travelers around the world. This is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2012. I believe this strategic move will allow Amadeus, to position it's self to remain as a GDS leader, which will allow them to obtain a larger market share. Additionally this integration will set the scene for future collaborations across the hospitality industry.

This partnership between Amadus and HRS will bring a lot of business to both of them and good proftis by letting independent hotels advertise their products and services. As you mentioned before this partnership will position Amadeus as the leader among GDS.

This article discusses what travel agents think about the enhanced ability of both corporate and leisure based travel agencies to sell airline ancillaries because of improved Global Distribution Systems' technologies. Ancillaries are products and services that airlines sell to gain additional revenue on top of your ticket price. Ancillaries have become increasingly popular in the airline industry because of the sky rocketing price of jet fuel. To keep ticket prices down airlines are "unbundling" items from the overall experience. This presents them with an opportunity to turn a profit by charging fees for bags (carry on, checked, additional), on board food and drink, credit card purchases, headphones. It seems like everything you encounter from when you arrive at the airport to when you disembark the plane has a fee. This phenomenon is especially present in Low cost carriers such as Spirit, Air Tran, Jet Blue, etc. However there are consumers who disagree with this additional costs as is apparent in Southwest's continuous marketing campaign. I'm sure everyone has seen the commercials with Southwest representatives 'flagging' down unnecessary fees in order to promote their 'bags fly free' campaign. Anyhow the reason I am explaining ancillary revenue is because travel agents are now starting to sell more ancillary products such as hotel accommodations, travel insurance, rental cars because of GDS technologies. They can track the sale of fees through EMD (Electronic miscellaneous Documents) which is the current industry standard. In the article some agents state that the EMDs are hard to understand and use. I believe until the EMDs become "seamless and easy to use" there will exist some hesitation to sell airline ancillaries. However on the other hand the article states that Travelport is working towards a simple and uniform platform called Travelport Universal API/Desktop. Once this comeplete perhaps more agents will feel comfortable selling ancillaries. This is a goo

I still remember when most airlines used to include breakfast or dinner for their passengers including alcoholic beverages well that doesn't happen any more. I believe when Travelport Universal Desktop becomes available it would become more clear to travel agencies the transaction process and for the consumers what products and services they are ofering.

I too miss the days of free sodas and peanuts. "Sigh-" sometimes its the little things in life that bring the most joy. I agree I think the new Travelport Universal Desktop will be a valuable tool if utilized correctly.

Smart Web PMS is a web-based PMS. It do not need hotel to install complex software, all you need is a computer with an internet connection. The dashboard displays the new reservations, recent check-in and check-outs, available units and urgent tasks on one screen. Once the information update the change will immediately show to all the users in real time. The reservation board show all the rooms states. Make reservation is simple, all you need to do is click the free unit. It also makes the online booking become more convenient. This PMS connect with most popular reservation platforms. Once the price or the availability of the hotel is changed the information on the reservation platforms will change. Once the platforms generate a booking the information will update immediately on the dashboard and reservation board. The workorder management system will report the existing repair task and problems in real time. It can send notification to the appropriate employees to deal with these problems. With the help of powerful system and filters we can find the information about the client quickly. It protects the data security by set access levels. Employees with different access levels have different aspect of the system can be viewed and edited. You don't need to worry about the security problems by use this system. This system back up the database in two separate servers in order to avoids damage of hardware failure. This system use https to transfer data which is the safest way to handle sensitive data. The servers who store the data are protecting by complex firewalls. I think this PMS is a good choose for hotels especially for the hotel that just start their business because this system charge base on the real number of units in the systems. It cost less than the traditional PMS.

I like the Web-based PMS. If i was the owner of a hotel, I would like to use the Web-based. It would save my money on installation of several softwares and require less IT managers to maintain the system. All changes about rate, status and workorder would be updated to all users in real time.

Yes, compare with the cloud-based PMS. I prefer the web-based PMS, because it keep the data more safe and the monthly cost is lower.

The e-commerce is facing the same problem as the on site retailer when it come to competition and sustaining their business. They constantly have to come up with new strategies in order to stay in the competition. So far the only company that has been   successful at sustaining the competition on has been Amazon with his plan, which offers a discount to the subscribers, which allow them to save on the shipping cost. Diapers.com also adopts a new technology, which consist on a discount rate for overnight shipping because after surveying their consumers they realized that most of their costumers wait until the cost of diapers is almost done to order a new stock therefore they will still make a profit even though they offered a discount. To be in the e-commerce business one always have to change its  strategy.

In this article we find out how the British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is challenging the authenticity of Tripadvisor as a result of a complaint by online reputation specialist, KwikChex Ltd. The ASA is complaining that Tripadvisor is allowing hotels to submit their own reviews to boost their reputations, compromising the legitimacy of the website's "honest travel reviews." The ASA and KwikChex believe that consumers are not aware of the difference between honest and hoax hotel reviews on the site. The website is fighting back saying that the large number of users that visit the site help balance out the small amount of fake posts. In addition, they state that they have fraud detection systems in place to weed out illegitimate reviews. But most importantly, they argue that those reviews that do manage to creep in do not carry much weight because users read an average of 12 reviews before making final decisions. Tripadvisor is one of the most popular websites among consumers making purchasing decisions because it is founded on real, consumer hotel reviews. Consumers today, specially the millennial generation, rely on peer reviews for important purchases such as travel and hotel stays. As consumers it is vital for us to remain educated and alert, specially when we cannot prove the legitimacy of the contents' authors.

Firstly, Guest Centric PMS Focus. Guests are the reason why hotels are in this business and also the resource of the hotels' revenue. Guests prefer to get experience and personalized attention from the hotels. Secondly, Integrated Revenue Management. A property must have a PMS with an effective and integrated revenue management system, which include the potential daily revenue. The revenue management module and a great deal of data must be fully integrated. Thirdly, the Ability to Connect to Online Sales Channels. There is a PMS drive sales through two-way communication with a wide variety of Internet channels. This article points out online channels are the fastest growing source of reservations, and getting your property's optimized rates and accurate available to the most effective of those channels.

This article explains the top three features to look at when in the process of picking out a PMS to use at a property. The first feature is that it should be guest centric PMS focus. This industry is run by guests. They are the reason hotels and restaurants exist. Having an easy to use CRM allows to employees be a bit more personal with the guest. Next, is integrated revenue management.Revenue management to be at the top of its game needs a fast system. When updating information if it takes too long it gets frustrating and can lose some opportunities to increase your daily revenue. Lastly, it should have the ability to connect to online sales channels. The article says that having a two way communication system is a crucial point to maximizing your company's point of sales.

This article discusses about 3 main features you should consider when you chose a PMS. First and most important feature is that whether it is guest centric or not. The hospitality business is all about guest, they are the source of your profits. So it is very important that your PMS has easy access to customer database or CRM system database. The second thing you should consider is Integrated Revenue Management. Hospitality market changes rapidly due to all not sure factors: holidays, events, festivals. So if you can forecast the changes of market rate and you update your rate in time, you are ahead of the game. Last, a excellent PMS should also has the ability to connect to Online Sales Channels. As the Internet is developed, lots of people make on-line reservations. Because the most accurate and updated information, your PMS should connect to on-line sales channels.

LodgeNet Interactive Corporation just launched on Monday their new mobile app which allows hotel guests to control the television with a smartphone or tablet. The application can be downloaded online before check-in or at check-in in a hotel lobby or in-room via an on-screen QR code. Each guests receives a unique code to enter into the app, then the TV system matches it with their personal device. You can see the programming TV schedules, access information about the hotel and local restaurants and even call the front desk to set up a wake-up call. Not to mention, you will avoid the spread of germs by doing all this from your own smartphone or tablet!

As the title, this article is talking about that the MAESTRO PMS was selected by 3 multi-property groups and six independent operators for peak efficiency. They recognized that Maestro PMS increases revenues by cross-selling from single database, perfectly runs two hotels on one system, ties all operations together and the guest history and analytics solutions enable hotels to provide more personalized service.

Good to see more properties take this approach with the goal of more personalized service. The cross sell opportunity is one of the biggest benefits I see...

Mircos is a kind of technology that widely used by restaurants. But, usually for the front of house, now, this system could be implemeted in the back of house. MICROS KDS is mounted in the kitchen or food preparation area to display and time food orders, improving order accuracy and speed of service.

Seem slike a good fit for them in terms of the fully integrated approach. Less maintenance also would be required from having to service numerous systems when you can just have one that does it all.

Six of the world's leading hotel companies, Choice Hotels International, Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott International Inc. and Wyndham Hotel Group, launched Roomkey.com, an innovative new online hotel search engine. It enables consumers to search and book directly with the hotel, and it gives consumers confidence that they have made the right choice by providing accurate hotel information straight from the source. The brain behind this project is John F. Davis III, Chief Executive Officer of Room Key, who is a highly experienced hospitality industry visionary with a history of entrepreneurial successes. The technology platform for RoomKey.com was acquired from hotelicopter, an innovative flexible hotel search and direct platform, which allows Room Key to evolve and enrich the user experience quickly. Additionally, hotelicopter's affiliate platform provides destination marketing organizations with a hotel marketing platform that helps drive more direct bookings to their local hotels, now under the Room Key Solutions brand. Shafiq Khan, Senior Vice President of eCommerce, Marriott International, said, "Room Key's new and unique offering will embody the best of what hotel company websites offer consumers, giving them confidence in their booking decisions - a personalized and welcoming experience that offers flexibility, accuracy, and benefits of booking with the hotel companies' proprietary sites." Now is time for consumers to use new "Rom Key"and make their way to hotel rooms around the world.

Highlights of the article: REPORT FROM THE U.S.-After the initial jubilation over an online distribution channel with commissions around 10% wore off, hoteliers are now beginning to ask tough questions about how Roomkey.com will be marketed to compete with existing third-party sites. My descriptions: President and CEO at Hospitality eBusiness Strategies stress the importance of Room Key. He mentioned how large Room Key can cover and spread to the market. He and other members of the management team found the strategy of eBusiness is cost-saving.Emarketing can help their company cut half of the marketing budget. Hilton and Marriott international hospitality management company have already joined Room Key.And because franchisers have increase franchisers fees about advertisement, more and more hotel join Room Key.

There are concerns about how Room Key will gain a stable consumer base ".. the average consumer-how do they even learn about Room Key?" However it is clear that Room Key will be more accurate and reliable when consumers search through rates for participating hotels. Room Key has been created to offer "one last shot to convince the consumer." However, there are some hotel franchiser's that will not continue backing this project.

Highlights of the article: REPORT FROM THE U.S.-After the initial jubilation over an online distribution channel with commissions around 10% wore off, hoteliers are now beginning to ask tough questions about how Roomkey.com will be marketed to compete with existing third-party sites. My descriptions: President and CEO at Hospitality eBusiness Strategies stress the importance of Room Key. He mentioned how large Room Key can cover and spread to the market. He and other members of the management team found the strategy of eBusiness is cost-saving.Emarketing can help their company cut half of the marketing budget. Hilton and Marriott international hospitality management company have already joined Room Key.And because franchisers have increase franchisers fees about advertisement, more and more hotel join Room Key.

We can see how the e-commerce and social media is changing the restaurant world, chain execs are seeing the development of this tools as a way to be in direct contact with the customer even when they are not present in the store.

Its interesting that ExactTarget email communication software serves so many different companies with different missions from job search to travel, power and electric to a football team, restaurants to home improvement, etc. Do you know who their direct competition is?

Having a good network security eliminates viruses and you are less vulnerable to identity theft or malware that can ruin your data. It is good t run regular weekly scans to ensure that your machine is not infected. It is also good to update the anti-virus programs and the operating systems to ensure that you computer is protected against the latest threats. Using a firewall will help to protect against malicious software and prevent people from traveling through your network connection. With router security, by using a strong password protection people won't be able to get access to stealing your data and this will improve security. Using a computer network suite such as Norton or McAfee is a good option because they have a variety of software, including anti-virus, firewall, identity protection and back up features. They all work together to protect your computer from threats.

Sometimes, virus comes from the misoperation of the staffs. A lot of times, when the anti-virus system warns the user of the computer, most people will not spend too much time reading and thinking about the warning. Then they pay make wrong choice so that virus are downloaded to the computer.